


Budge Over

by lauriegilbert



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-25
Updated: 2012-02-25
Packaged: 2017-10-31 17:54:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/346822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lauriegilbert/pseuds/lauriegilbert
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Friends first and always.  Posted July 22, 2004 originally.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Budge Over

With a loud, large yawn, Harry stretched out his body. He’d been lying on a sofa in the common room for hours trying to study for his Herbology exams next week. Other than Divination, it had become his least favourite subject. Compared to Patronuses and Death Serums, studying leaves and pollen just didn’t have a chance at entertaining him enough to be interested.

Because of the lack of excitement it had been a struggle for the past hour or so to stay awake, only Hermione’s glares keeping his eyes open. Now that she had left though, Harry was free to nap and very soon afterwards he was putting his glasses on top of his closed text and curling up into the sofa, knees pulled up to his chest, arms hugging the cushion his head rested on.

When Ron barged his way into the room an hour later, he saw his best mate sleeping. Harry hadn’t budged an inch, even with all the racket around him. Apparently sleeping in a room with four other boys had conditioned him to sleep through an elephant stampede; or a Weasley entrance.

Dropping his books on the floor next to the sofa Harry was on, Ron stood back and watched the boy for a few minutes. Voldemort had been affecting his dreams again, so it had been a long time since Ron had seen his mate this at peace. Thinking that it just wasn’t fair that the only time a seventeen year old boy smiled was in his sleep, he decided to leave Harry to his rest, settling down in a chair across from him, grabbing the dratted textbook left on the table and trying to study.

Herbology seemed to be as boring for Ron as Harry though, since every time the sleeping Gryffindor moved or made a sound Ron’s eyes were automatically on the sofa, making sure that Harry was alright and not having another nightmare.

As Ron was finishing his fifth page of plantlore, his sister Ginny came into the room making as much noise as he himself had.

Looking up and seeing who was making such a commotion Ron quickly shushed her, eyes returning to his book.

“I will not shush up just so you can fall asleep while pretending to study,” Ginny spat loudly.

“Sssh!” he repeated motioning to Harry.

“Oh,” Gin whispered quietly. “I’ll just go upstairs then.”

“Do that,” Ron agreed, upset for her being so noisy, not realizing that he’d done the exact same thing.

Once Ginny was upstairs, the red headed boy sighed deeply, once more trying to study while fighting back a yawn.

“You didn’t have to tell her to be quiet.”

Jumping out of his chair, Ron stared at Harry. “What did you just say?”

Blinking at his mate, Harry stretched out his muscles before repeating, “Ginny. You didn’t have to tell her to be quiet. She’s nowhere near as loud as you are.”

“You were sleeping, you needed quiet,” he replied simply, ignoring the insult to himself.

“I sleep through Neville’s snoring, remember?” Harry asked with a grin.

“I can’t believe you just compared my sister to Neville,” Ron responded with a yawn.

“Tired?” was all Harry said, yawning again himself. After all, yawning is a chain reaction.

Nodding, Ron gave up on studying and put Harry’s book next to the glasses on the table.

“Join me on the couch?” Harry offered, moving back and stretching his legs to make a little room. He wasn’t sure how Ron would react, but he was so tired right now that he didn’t care.

“Harry, there is not enough room for me on that couch while you’re on it. I’d fall off,” he argued, sure that the fear and nervousness he was feeling shone in his eyes. He watched Harry’s face carefully, thankful for once that without his glasses Harry was as blind as a bat.

Looking slightly disappointed, Harry tried again, “I wouldn’t let you. I’d hold you tightly.” Did I just say that? It was Harry’s turn to look fearful. He’d known he cared more for Ron than anyone else for years now, but it had only been recently that he’d finally realized what that really meant. Never having considered telling Ron how he felt, the words coming out of his mouth surprised him almost as much as his best friend.

“Um . . . Harry?” Ron stammered. “I’m tired, and therefore probably not hearing things properly. Did you just say you’d hold me tightly?”

Harry just nodded, eyes wide and focused on Ron’s face.

“Well, okay then.” Not sure what else to say, Ron sat back in his chair and sighed deeply. Harry’s words had started a chain reaction of thoughts and questions. He’d always liked Harry. Liked him more than the other guys in their year. But did he like Harry? His mind was spinning with thoughts of Harry; queasy stomaches, sexuality, and why even the thought of snuggling on a couch with Harry wasn’t freaking him out the way it should have.

"Okay?" Harry asked in a slightly astonished voice, before realizing that Ron had settled back in his chair rather than on the sofa with him.

"Why Harry? Why now?" Why me? he silently added.

Sitting up, Harry leaned his head back and looked at the ceiling. "What exactly do you think I asked of you Ron?"

Gulping, Ron wasn't sure how to answer. Did he say that it was a simple offer of sharing the sofa, and have Harry think he's a homophobic git, or should he say what was running through his head. That Harry wasn't offering to share the sofa, but to snuggle on it, potentially losing his best friend forever if he was wrong. Chickening out entirely, he simply sighed, "I don't know."

"After this many years of friendship, all you can give me is I don't know?" Harry asked, the pain he felt obvious in the heated words, he eyes trying to see the expression on the red head's face.

"What the hell do you want me to say Harry?" Ron snapped. "Do I think it was a simple offer to share the sofa? No. Is my mind running a mile a minute right now? Yes. But I have no idea what the hell I want, how I feel about it, or if I'm even . . . " his words trailed off, Ron's fears not letting him voice the word that would make all of this suddenly seem much too real.

"Gay," Harry finished for him.

"Don't say that."

"What, gay? I'm gay Ron. I don't like women. I've tried, and it never worked out. You've seen it. I like men. I like. . . " he started looking at the ceiling again.

"Me," Ron whispered, afraid to be right, but almost even more afraid to be wrong.

"You," Harry nodded, looking anywhere now but at Ron.

Neither man said a word for a little while, the tension in the room building. Finally getting exasperated with everything, Harry stretched out once more, intent on finishing his nap. "If you ever decide to wake out of your funk and talk to me, wake me up."

Ron sat stunned for another five minutes or so, staring at Harry's now sleeping form. His thoughts were finally starting to settle out, and he was surprisingly not shocked at what now seemed to be the obvious conclusion to it all. Wondering what the reaction was going to be when someone found them, he walked over to Harry and shook him slightly. "Budge over."

Pushing his hair out of his eyes, Harry kept his hand on his head and grinned up at his overly tall friend. "You sure?" He made room for Ron, squeezing back as far as he could.

Rather than answer with words, Ron stretched out alongside his mate, sharing the pillow.

Bringing his arms around him and nestling in, Harry rested his cheek on the red hair in front of him, sighing with contentment as they fell asleep together.

Harry never let Ron fall, that afternoon, or for the rest of their lives.


End file.
